About this project

Betterspot: A VPN Router for All Devices & Platforms

CA$ 362,529

pledged of CA$ 100,000 goal

1,438

backers

What is a prototype?

A prototype is a preliminary model of something. Projects that offer physical products need to show backers documentation of a working prototype. This gallery features photos, videos, and other visual documentation that will give backers a sense of what’s been accomplished so far and what’s left to do. Though the development process can vary for each project, these are the stages we typically see:

Proof of Concept

Explorations that test ideas and functionality.

Functional Prototype

Demonstrates the functionality of the final product, but looks different.

Appearance Prototype

Looks like the final product, but is not functional.

Design Prototype

Appearance and function match the final product, but is made with different manufacturing methods.

Production Prototype

Appearance, function, and manufacturing methods match the final product.

Prototype Gallery

These photos and videos provide a detailed look at this project’s development.

Everyday VPN services are used by millions of people in countries across the globe. A VPN helps users bypass internet restrictions such as censored or geo-restricted content while providing anonymity by masking their IP address and location. We believe freedom to access information online is a basic right. Betternet Technologies Inc. is the team behind the Betterspot project. We have over 5 years of experience providing secure VPN services for more than 40 million users around the globe. Our team has proven its place as your first VPN choice on the world wide web.

As smart devices and IoT are quickly and inevitably becoming part of our daily lives, the need for a safe, secure and a fast VPN service becomes essential. We noticed it had become a challenge to find a VPN app that works on all your devices, in the home or at the office. To meet this challenge, Betternet decided to create Betterspot, a device which easily connects to your router providing VPN functions to all of your WiFi devices such as tablets, smart phones, laptops, PCs, etc. Betterspot is compatible with various operating systems such as Windows, Ubuntu, OS X, Android, iOS, Blackberry,etc. By supporting Betterspot, you are supporting a device which will provide security, privacy and freedom of information to millions. By using Betterspot, you yourself may find the internet quite simply, better.

Betterspot is compatible with:

How does VPN work?

A virtual private network, also known as a VPN, is a private network that extends across a public network or internet.

What is Tor Anonymity Network?

Tor directs Internet traffic through a free, worldwide, volunteer network consisting of more than seven thousand relays to conceal a user's location and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis.

Tor explained in 2 minutes!

Why do I need Betterspot?

Portable and Compatible

Use Betterspot when traveling abroad. It's compatible with various devices and platforms.

Unblock streaming channels

Betterspot allows you to watch video streaming channels everywhere.

Some may overlook design as an essential feature of a VPN router, supposing it should just bypass the internet restrictions. Going the extra mile for us means making Betterspot a beautifully designed and efficient product which exceeds our customers’ expectations.

Betterspot, distinguished by the Betternet Shield located on top of it, may be one of the most modern, exciting, convenient and user-friendly VPN routers on the market. After six months of effort and research, our professional design team has created two models. Based on the user feedback we ensured that not only the functionality was streamlined, but also the design remained sleek and attractive.

Our team considered every detail in the process of developing Betterspot, including a multi-color LED which shows Betterspot’s status to the user. Two Ethernet ports and a micro USB port are neatly placed at the back of the device. Surrounding these key components is a hard ABS polymer case. You’ll know it’s a quality product because like our Betternet App it features the shield logo you’ve come to trust.

What the top tech media say about our brand:

All settings in your hand

Betterspot allows you to control the device easily through your smartphone. You just need to install it on one device and the rest will connect and pair to Betterspot without any need to install apps.

Device modes

VPN (Betternet)

Connect to Betternet premium service to increase your security and privacy and choose between multiple server locations. Encrypting your data, Betternet secures your connection. It changes your IP address, and hides your real locations. It helps you access blocked websites, and bypass internet censorship and firewalls. Betternet lets you access different streaming channels everywhere; even when you are traveling.

Tor

You can switch to Tor anonymity network and surf anonymously. It hides you from the other users on the network, so the more populous and diverse the user base for Tor is, the more your anonymity will be protected. Tor allows you to improve your privacy and security on the Internet. It also lets organizations and individuals share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.

Direct mode

You can turn the VPN off by choosing this mode. In this mode, Betterspot functions like a normal router. If you only use a secure connection for certain services and prefer to browse the net using your own IP address, we made it easy for you to switch between VPN/TOR and Direct mode. In Direct mode, your router acts like a messenger: it only sends your requests to the internet without any modifications.

Filtering

VPN usually changes your location. Sometimes, you don’t want to change your location but you need to connect to a local network. To do so, you can specify which website traffic you wish not to be transferred through VPN or Tor connection.

Location selection

Choose your desired server location from the menu. We provide a broad range of dedicated, and premium servers all around the world.

Full time support

When you initially need help, we recommend using Betterspot support page. We have some tutorials online and they're updated often. If you are not finding a solution to your issue by searching our FAQ, please feel free to submit a question on our support website.

Setup via LAN

Setup via Wi-Fi

We’d like to say that Betterspot was the result of a “eureka” moment, however we think the reality is far more interesting. Through inspiring feedback we were able to construct a product that meets all your demands. We realized that Betternet users enthusiastically require using Betternet on all of their smart devices such as smart TVs, Windows phones, Mac computers, Blackberires and Apple TVs, but unfortunately VPN apps cannot be installed on all these devices.

As we traveled abroad we were faced with online restrictions and censorship. This encouraged us to design Betternet, a VPN service that has now more than 40 million users. To ensure we were on the right path during each stage of development we engaged our users across the globe. The first stop was China where we asked our users for feedback about Betternet VPN, which in turn further encouraged us to develop the hardware. Thanks to our customers’ comments, we had a new idea: a device you could simply connect all your smart devices to. A device that is small, portable, easy to use and empowered with our award winning Premium VPN service: Betternet. By running the VPN for your smart device, Betterspot will reduce the exhaustion of your smart devices' battery life.

Our Team

Betterspot team is comprised of top notch tech experts, experienced hardware engineers, embedded developers and designers who are part of Betternet Technologies, an established company providing VPN services to more than 40 million people across the globe with more than 5 years of experience in this business. Our mobile app developers and DevOps have designed one of the most reliable and compatible VPN protocols which is tested for over a year and now empowers Betterspot VPN router. Our diligent CRM team constantly responds to the users' questions and relays their feedback to our development team which in turn fine tunes our service and product.

Our industrious team is still on the go and working hard to bring Betterspot to life. We are grateful to the potential Kickstarter backers for supporting us to achieve this goal. Your support will give us the opportunity to put Betterspot in your home.

Risks and challenges

Finding a tier-one manufacturing partner was our first and foremost challenge. Therefore, we decided to negotiate with more than one manufacturer. We were also chosen by HWTrek to join “Asia Innovation Tour 2016”. Traveling to China, we learned a lot from hardware experts. Finally, we have developed partnerships with top-tier manufacturers in China and we are now confident that we have chosen the right one for Betterspot. We shared our plans with them, and by following their recommendations prepared the final design; minimizing the risks of manufacturing.
Making new products carries intrinsic risks and challenges. Allowing for these necessary steps may take time but ensures a great product. Betterspot team devoted their time creating a solid plan, which is the first step towards delivering a high-quality product on schedule.
Providing services for many users requires full customer support. Experience with our VPN Apps such as Betternet and Hexatech have given us the tools we need to aid our customers with any questions they may have. We’ve been successfully running Betternet and Hexatech for five years and we have been working on Betterspot more than one year. During this time we have developed various parts of Betterspot such as enclosure, board, and firmware.
We like to build trust with our customers, and our transparency with Betternet users has been key to our success. This policy will remain the same with Betterspot, encouraging trust and proving dependability. It’s our commitment to you that we will make every effort to deliver you an exceptional product, on time. We pledge to keep our backers informed regularly throughout the entire production process and are committed to doing everything we can to deliver Betterspot to you.